Key result
Intravenous antibiotics, frequent pericardial drainage, and pericardectomy achieve full recovery in a pyopericardium case.
Case Report (n=1)
Pyopericardium is a rare, life-threatening condition that can be masked by underlying infections but can be successfully treated with prompt drainage, antibiotics, and pericardectomy.
May support combined drainage, antibiotics, and pericardectomy in pyopericardium; hypothesis-generating and leaves open need for prospective data.
Pyopericardium is a rare condition with a high mortality rate in which infection propagates in the pericardial space, leading to a pus filled pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade, which can cause cardiogenic shock and death. We present a case of a previously healthy woman of 52, who was admitted with a severe lower respiratory tract infection that eventually led to a pyopericardium. The diagnosis of pyopericardium was delayed due to masking of symptoms by her underlying infection, sepsis and an upper gastrointestinal bleed that the patient suffered during the admission, requiring an emergency gastroscopy. The pyopericardium was considered when ST elevation was seen on an ECG and an ECHO discovered a large pericardial effusion causing tamponade. An emergency pericardiocentesis drained frank pus. Treatment with intravenous antibiotics, frequent pericardial drainage and a pericardectomy led to an excellent outcome, and a full recovery.
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Cracknell et al. (2015) conducted a case report in Pyopericardium (n=1). Intravenous antibiotics, frequent pericardial drainage, and pericardectomy was evaluated on Clinical outcome and recovery. Treatment with intravenous antibiotics, frequent pericardial drainage, and a pericardectomy led to an excellent outcome and full recovery in a patient with pyopericardium.
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